Enlisting in history: First black Marine from Flint in World War 2 dies

FLINT, MI – Leaving behind a trailblazing legacy of African American military service, Jimmy Thrasher died Tuesday, June 1, at the age of 90.

The first black Marine recruited from Flint during the World War II, Thrasher is survived by his sister Myrtle Pea of Flint. Pea said she was always proud of her brother paving the way for other African Americans to serve their country.

Thrasher's older brother William, Pea said, was also one of the first African Americans to serve in the military from Flint.

"When I talk about them, you would think they were the only two men serving in the war," Pea said. "When people talk about the service, I always let them know my brother was one of the first to serve."

In May 1942, the Marine Corps began accepting its first black recruits. Thrasher was the first from Flint to enlist, and one of the first from Michigan.

He received his draft notice in January 1943.

"I was very excited for him," Pea said. "I hated to see him go, but I was excited for him. He loved the service. The war was just beginning, so he wanted to get in there and get it over with."

Thrasher retired from the Corps after 33 years, and lived the rest of his days in California with his wife May. She died in 2006. The couple had seven children.

Pea said her brother's accomplishments in the service were an inspiration to her community. She said her friends and family enjoy old photos of Thrasher in uniform, serving as a reminder to his place in history, and the family's.

"Everyone thought he was the greatest," she said. "People really like to see pictures of him in uniform. He had personality-plus."

Thrasher also held the distinction of being the last Marine to retire from Montford Point. Montford Point was the only training camp the corps had for African Americans in the 1940s.

Before his death, in an interview with The Flint Journal, Thrasher explained that he wasn't easily accepted into the Marines, despite the Corps "opening up" to enlist African Americans.

"I started going to the recruiting office in May of '42," he said. "They kept saying 'We'll call you.' But they never did. By September, they'd seen me so much, they decided to give me a physica,l which I passed, but they still didn't call."

By the next year, Thrasher was enlisted in the corps and served through WW II.

Despite his recent death, his sister is just happy to remember.

"It put me in the limelight," she said. "I was really proud of him, just really impressed. He was the first black to join."